It Runs in the Family
by City of Dis
Summary: Cloud thought his father abandoned his family...what you don't know always hurts...sometimes finding out hurts more...Rating to go up in the future
1. to piss off a blonde

Disclaimer: I own nothing

--

Cloud had been on edge. Well…that is a bit of an understatement.

Cloud was terrified.

Sure he has stood up to most anything life has thrown at him so far. But this was not a fight so to speak. In recent years he had saved the world (or at least helped) three times.

He survived it all to go on and marry his childhood friend Tifa Lockheart. But this last announcement had him metaphorically pissing in his pants.

Tifa had just announced that Cloud would be a real dad.

At first Cloud was happy about it. He was currently taking care of two children…but neither were really his. Marlene belonged to Barrett if he ever came back from those oil fields. And he pretty much saw Denzel as a younger brother…they were only 13 years apart.

So now he was camping out on his roof brooding about the future.

The way he saw it…he had nothing to go by. His father had abandoned his family while Cloud was a newborn. His mother never told him why.

Some random part of his mind suggested that he go get something to eat. He'd been up there for a good three hours.

His mind vaguely registered a presence from behind him as he heard the telltale clink of Vincent's metal boots on the roofing. He continues to stare out over the street as his reclusive friend sits down next to him. They sat there comfortably for a couple of minutes before I just became too much for Cloud to bear.

"What are you doing here Vincent?" It was safe to say Cloud was a bit to the point.

"Tifa told me I'd find you up here…You seem troubled"

"That's an understatement"

"How so?" Cloud considered for a brief second about whether or not he wanted to go into this. But then again Vincent would probably understand more that anyone. He and Yuffie had just had a little Valentine of their own.

"Well Tifa's pregnant and I have no idea how do be a father. Sure I take care of two but neither of them are mine and I have nothing to go on because that son of a bitch father of mine ran off and left me and mom to be ridiculed by the whole town" Cloud was ranting and he knew it.

Vincent on the other hand, having experience on how to block out all parts of ranting except the important ones(because if you ignore the whole thing it will most assuredly bite you in the ass), caught the part about his friends parentage.There was only one time when Cloud ranted and that was when he did not know what to do

"You shouldn't judge your father too harshly"

"And why the hell not?" And there's the attention.

"Because I knew him" And there's the shock…now anger

"When did you plan on telling me this?"

"…..You did not ask" And there's fury complete with eye twitch

"You mean we have been friends for 4 years and you just now tell me you knew my father!"

"…Yes" And there's the storm off.

But Vincent wasn't worried about it. Cloud's curiosity about things especially his past will bring him back…now to just get a hold of Veld…

--

**Well… I think it's a good start…will go into Cloud's parent's…less than noble lives once Cloud calms down…Is that him blowing up random buckets that look suspiciously like ****Sephiroth****…-sigh-ill be back later…**


	2. meetings

Disclaimer: see page one

--

Cloud was…not happy.

He had just now been told by the man he has trusted the most for the last 4 years that the man knew him…he didn't know nor care to what extent at the moment.

He was too angry for that.

He stormed down the stairs right past his wife (who stood there dumbfounded) and out the door to his motorcycle. For a moment he mused about taking his sword from Fenrir and teaching Vincent to keep stuff like that from him. Instead he jumped on his bike and rode out of the city.

He had to kill something.

--

After several hours of hunting down anything he could find, Cloud was actually glad for once about the monster population…but not their blood…he was effectively covered. He got on his bike after downing his last foe and went for a ride.

Now that his anger was taken care of he had to think. He unconsciously made his way to the cliff where Zack had made his last stand. Aside from being his official thinking spot over the last couple of years…he needed guidance.

"Well Zack I can honestly say my friends are crazier then yours ever thought about being."

_"Cloud, three of my friends tried to destroy the world"_

Cloud just stood there not sure if he had just imagined his late friend's response. Zack's specter appeared before Cloud with his ever present smirk and arms crossed.

"Zack?"

_"Don't look so surprised! __Jeesh__ you act like I would really leave you __hangin__'. Come on we both know you're helpless without me._

"Is this real?"the last thing Cloud needed right now was to be going crazy…again.

_"Well as real as ghosts can be"_

"….Zack I've been coming here for a little over 3 years and you just now show up and answer me?"

_"…….uh huh"_

"I hate my life…why does everybody wait years to tell me things of such importance?"

_"What are you __talkin__ bout now"_

"Well I had to wait years for Fuck-head Hojo to proclaim me as a failure and stop expirementing long enough for you to get us out…Then I had to wait two years for you two to tell me that you didn't blame me for you not being here now…I had to wait another year and a half for Tifa to let me know that she always loved me…Vincent just found it necessary after four years to tell me he knew my father, and he's lucky he's in one piece and now you just now decide to tell me that you could have responded to my three years of questions I've thought out at this spot."

_"__You act like you've got it so hard! I'm DEAD, you don't see me __complainin__'…__That is the most you've ever said at once…except that time you were nervous about the SOLDIER tests…what happened__"_

"Why should I tell you?! No one ever tells me anything!"

_"Cloud, calm down.__ It's not your style to verbal or snarky"_

"Well what are you gunna do about it?"

_"Oh it's not what I'll do, but I might let __Aeris__ know whose idea that Halloween prank was all those years ago. And you know how she is"_

"…Damn you and your leaverage"

_"You know I always win arguments Cloud. You say __goth__-boy knew your daddy huh….go talk to him"_

"He's lucky he's still in one piece. I'm too angry now. What am I supposed to say anyway 'So tell me about the bastard who's supposed to be my dad?'"

_"Cloud you know you want to know and there's probably a good reason he didn't stay…Why don't you just hear what he has to say?"_

"I hate it when you're right. I've missed you Zack…I've started to remember those years before I went comatose…I really could use you here right now."

_"I know and if I could I would, little bro" _

That threw Cloud off for a moment. He had forgotten that Zack called him that during their…extended stay in Nibelheim. He really was the closest thing Cloud had ever had to a sibling. That and Zack had been looking after Cloud for a while and they did have similar features

"Little? I'm technically older than you now since you don't age after death…Fine I'll go talk to him…and Zack?

_"Yeah?"_

"It's good to see you again…"

_"You too Cloud, I'd hug you but you know…ghost and all. I'll try to come see you more often"_

"Yeah…and I have crazier friends on account that I have Yuffie."

_"How do you __figure__"_

"She is currently trying to convert my children into her own materia gathering ninja army…and has once caught Tifa in a trap to get her materia…that didn't end well…oh and she fell asleep hanging by her feet from the ceiling rafters…"

_"Damn…I need to stop by your bar sometime…__kay__ so you win that one…Zack 637; Cloud 5"_

"I guess I'll see you later Zack."

_"Yeah…later"_

--

For the first time in…well longer than he cared to remember, Vincent felt apprehensive. He was standing at the front door of his long time friends house whom he had not seen for some thirty odd years. This kid was fifteen years younger than him when he started training him and now he would seem twenty years older than Vincent. He briefly wondered how Veld would take it or if he already knew what happened to him.

_Most likely not__ I he knew I__ was alive then he would have done something drastic_…it was just the man's nature, or so Vincent thought.

Vincent was torn from his musings as the door swung open to reveal a 40 year old Wutain man with graying hair…he held a very defined look…that quickly broke down into a dumbfounded shock.

"Vincent?"

"…Been a long time Veld."

"No you're dead, and even if you weren't you would be almost sixty."

"61 next October"

"How are you here now…this is impossible. You died prote-"

"Hojo" The name didn't require any further elaboration. Veld had seen many of his early experiments after Gast was killed and was…less than enthusiastic about the man's morals.

"…Come in we've got things to talk about…What's with the cape?"

"…later"

They went inside and sat down at his table and started discussing their past life…well Veld was discussing, Vincent just sat there and nodded and 'hmm'ed unless needed to keep the conversation going.

"Now then Vincent why are you here now. You never just show up to small talk…even for much overdue reunions.

"I'm here about your old partner. His son is a good friend of mine."

"Kaz had a son?"

"I would like to bring him here if it's no trouble. He doesn't know anything about him and I don't know much either other than he was a good man and turk."

"That would be fine. I owe Kaz that much. You might stay too. A lot of this will involve you and you have the right to know as well."

"I plan to. I'll be back with him tomorrow."

--

**Cloud may be a little OOC in this one but hey he went from super pissed to all sad with Zack and he ****kinda**** reverted back to his pre-****Nibelheim****bbq**** self.**


End file.
